Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
June 2016
From ACM News
Building Morality Into Machines
Technology ethics are a growing concern as artificial intelligence advances and autonomous technologies become reality.
From ACM News
Nasa Mars Orbiters Reveal Seasonal Dust Storm Pattern
After decades of research to discern seasonal patterns in Martian dust storms from images showing the dust, but the clearest pattern appears to be captured by measuring the temperature of the Red Planet's atmosphere.
From ACM TechNews
Icann Endorses Plan to Cede Internet Oversight
The U.S. government has endorsed a plan to cede its oversight of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to the broader online community.
From ACM TechNews
sing Computers to Better nderstand Art
Visual stylometry is a new field designed to measure artistic style via computational and statistical methods, to uncover unique insights about artists and artworks.
From ACM TechNews
Haptic Taco Helps You Navigate By Feel
Yale University researchers are developing small haptic peripherals to help drivers navigate using just their sense of touch.
From ACM Opinion
A Russian Cybersleuth Battles the 'dark Ages' of the Internet
A sense of menace stirs right off the elevator on the fifth floor of Kaspersky Lab's Moscow headquarters, where a small television screen displays cyberthreats occurring in real time around the world—a blinking, spinning, color…
From ACM TechNews
Google Moves Closer to a niversal Quantum Computer
An experimental prototype of a universal quantum computer can solve a wide range of problems and has the potential to be scaled up to larger systems, researchers say.
From ACM TechNews
Flight of the Robobee
Researchers recently demonstrated their "RoboBees" aerial microrobots now can perch during flight to save energy, in the same way as bats, birds, and butterflies.
From ACM News
First Demonstration of 10-Photon Quantum Entanglement Sets New Record
Entanglement is the strange phenomenon in which quantum particles become so deeply linked that they share the same existence.
From ACM News
Self-Driving Cars Will Teach Themselves to Save Lives—but Also Take Them
If you follow the ongoing creation of self-driving cars, then you probably know about the classic thought experiment called the Trolley Problem.
From ACM Careers
Why the World Hates Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is the new Rome. As in the time of Caesar, the world is grappling with an advanced city-state dominating much of the planet, injecting its technology and ethos everywhere it lands and funneling enormous wealth…
From ACM TechNews
National Science Foundation Recognizes Clemson Research Team For Video Linking Creative Movement to Computer Programming Instruction
The U.S. National Science Foundation recently recognized Clemson University researchers for their work on a video highlighting new programming software.
From ACM News
Google's AI Software Is Moving Into Your Iphone
Google's artificial intelligence software, smart enough to help vanquish the world's top Go player and answer your email, is coming to your iPhone.
From ACM TechNews
Researchers Take Author Recognition to Neural Networks
McGill University researchers have developed a forensic tool that uses neural network processing to help identify subtle differences between authors' tweeting styles.
From ACM TechNews
Parking a Truck Is a Pain in the Butt. Tech to the Rescue!
University of Minnesota researchers are developing a system that monitors parking lots and provides a real-time count of spaces for truck drivers.
From ACM TechNews
Northeastern Researchers Find That Amazon Might Not Always Be Pitching You the Best Prices
Sellers using algorithmic pricing are more likely to be featured in Amazon's "buy boxes" as the featured seller, even if they do not offer the lowest price, researchers say.
From ACM News
Silicon Fingerprint on Chips Could Make Any Gadget Unhackable
Has your bank recently sent you a credit or debit card with a chip in it? If so, you may now be in possession of a little piece of tech that is quietly helping to secure the ever-expanding realm of internet-connected devices—which…
From ACM News
Kellogg S. Booth: 2016 Canadian Digital Media Pioneer Award
Kellogg Booth’s career has been dominated by an unwavering belief that Canada could make a serious and positive impact on the evolution of digital media.
From ACM News
'we Hardly Understand Anything': Rodney Brooks On Artificial Intelligence
If you’re going to talk about robots, there’s no better person to talk with than Rodney Brooks.
From ACM News
How to Keep the Internet Free and Open
The U.S. has long held a minimal oversight role over the Internet. It's time for that to end.
From ACM News
More Low-Cost Pcs Are Aimed at Students
BBC’s micro:bit is the latest low-cost computer for education.
From ACM News
Google Moves Closer to a niversal Quantum Computer
For 30 years, researchers have pursued the universal quantum computer, a device that could solve any computational problem, with varying degrees of success.
From ACM News
Lisa Pathfinder Mission Paves Way For Space-Based Detection of Gravitational Waves
LISA Pathfinder, a mission led by the European Space Agency (ESA) with contributions from NASA, has successfully tested a key technology needed to build a space-based observatory for detecting gravitational waves.
From ACM News
New Genetic Engineering Method Called Promising — And Perilous
A powerful new technique for changing genes in insects, animals and plants holds great promise, according to a report from an influential panel of scientists released Wednesday. But the group also says it's potentially very dangerous…
From ACM Opinion
How New Technology Is Illuminating a Classic Ethical Dilemma
On a pleaant Friday afternoon in April, the grassy quadrangle at the center of the Carnegie Mellon University campus is buzzing with activity.
From ACM TechNews
For Driverless Cars, City-Like Test Sites Offer the npredictable
Automakers are turning to city-like test sites as they race to create the perfect self-driving car.
From ACM TechNews
Google's Training Its AI to Be Android's Security Guard
Google's Adrian Ludwig says computer security should manage risk so it can learn to spot potential vulnerabilities on the fly using deep neural networks.
From ACM TechNews
Advanced Game Theory Goes to Work For Homeland Security
The University of Southern California's Teamcore Research Group is creating game theory applications to help agencies solve problems related to homeland security.
From ACM TechNews
U.s. Gets Warnings and Advice About the Internet of Things
Industry groups have submitted more than 130 reports to the U.S. Department of Commerce detailing positive and negative aspects of the Internet of Things.
From ACM TechNews
High-Tech Librarian Knows Its Books
A*STAR researchers say they are developing robot technology to relieve librarians of the menial tasks of their job, while enhancing the searching and sorting of books.